ARRL News

21 October 2021

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

• November QST Article Celebrates Centenary of the Beverage Antenna

  The November issue of QST includes the article, “The Beverage Antenna, 100 Years Later,” by Ward Silver, N0AX, and Frank Donovan, W3LPL. The famous receiving antenna, designed and patented in 1921 by Harold Beverage, W2BML, remains popular for the low bands as increasing sunspot activity in Solar Cycle 25 leads to weaker signals on 160 and 80 meters. The article explains the Beverage antenna’s...

• Yasme Foundation Board Announces Grant, Award

  The Yasme Foundation Board of Directors has announced that it will be giving a grant to the Seychelles Amateur Radio Association (SARA) to establish a facility for its recently formed (2018) amateur radio club.

  The Yasme Foundation also announced that Steve Babcock, VE6WZ, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is the latest recipient of its Excellence Award. This honor is presented to individuals and gro...

• Technician License Training Course Added to ARRL’s YouTube Channel

  ARRL’s YouTube channel, ARRLHQ, has launched a series of amateur radio Technician-class license courses. This series of videos features Dave Casler, KE0OG, QST’s “Ask Dave” columnist, who leads viewers through The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual. These videos supplement the manual and provide an overview of the sections you’ll be studying, along with a few videos on how things work. Share this ex...

• Harold Smith, KE6TI, Wins the October 2021 QST Cover Plaque Award
• Radio Amateurs Invited to Participate in the Antarctic Eclipse Festival in December

  The HamSCI Antarctic Eclipse Festival in December is seeking amateur radio participation. As the shadow of the moon passes across Antarctica on December 4, it will generate traveling ionospheric disturbances that will, in turn, affect radio propagation. The unusual geometry of this year’s eclipses will give researchers an opportunity to investigate complicated ionospheric dynamics over the pole...

• UN Day Transmission from Sweden’s SAQ Set for October 24

  On United Nations Day, Sunday, October 24, the vintage and historical Alexanderson alternator in Grimeton, Sweden, with call sign SAQ, is scheduled to send out a message to the world on 17.2 kHz CW. The events of the day will be livestreamed on YouTube starting at 14:25 UTC. Transmitter startup and tuning will begin at 1430 UTC, with the message transmission to follow at 1500 UTC.

  This year’s me...

• New CQ World Wide Youth Category to Debut October 30 – 31
• The K7RA Solar Update
• September 2021 Volunteer Monitor Program Report

  The Volunteer Monitor (VM) Program is a joint initiative between the ARRL and FCC to enhance compliance in the Amateur Radio Service. This is the VM Program report for September 2021.

  Technician operators in Mansfield, Ohio; Avon Park, Florida, and Pulaski, Tennessee, received Advisory Notices after making numerous FT8 contacts on 20 meters. Technician licensees do not have operating privileges...

• Students at UK School for Deaf Youngsters Enjoy Space Chat

  Students at the Mary Hare School for deaf children in the UK took part in what appears to have been a world-first event for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). Facilitating the late-morning direct contact with astronaut Mark Vande Hei, KG5GNP, at NA1SS were ARISS-UK and members of the Newbury and District Amateur Radio Society (NADARS). The ground station used the call sig...

• Author, QRP Enthusiast Rich Arland, K7SZ, SK

  Richard H. “Rich” Arland, K7SZ, of Dacula, Georgia, died on October 7. An ARRL member, he was 75. In addition to other books, Arland was the author of Low-Power Communicationand other ARRL publications, and he was an avid QRP enthusiast and experimenter. Arland had been a radio amateur since 1963. He volunteered in the ARRL Field Organization as a Technical Advisor and as an Official Emergency...

• The Premiere of NIGHT, the Movie

  During the Edmond (Oklahoma) Amateur Radio Society’s ARRL Field Day 2021, Marcus Sutliff, N5ZY, spoke with visitors from John D’Aquino’s Young Actors Workshop (YAW) and learned of their plans to make a short film in which amateur radio plays a role, and they needed some help. The filming was to take place in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and they needed someone with film or video experience and someone...

• ARDC Grant to Benefit High School Computer Science Students

  Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is helping high school computer science students become makers by providing a grant to purchase Raspberry Pi computers and Arduino microcontrollers. California High School computer science AP teacher Sean Raser said he believes that a hands-on approach is the most effective way for students to learn and retain knowledge. The class would aim to accompl...

• Scouting’s Jamboree-on-the-Air Takes Place this Weekend, October 15 – 17
• ARRL Online Auction Wraps Up on Thursday, October 14

  Get ready to place your last-minute bids on items for sale in the 16th Annual ARRL Online Auction. GigaParts is sponsoring this year’s auction, which features QST “Product Review” items, vintage gear, classic books, novelties, and the ever-popular ARRL Lab “Mystery” boxes. Visit the Auction website, register to bid, and check out details on the items available. Keep an eye on the ARRL Facebook...

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QRZ Amateur Radio News

Ham of the Year

Here is the list of past winners of the BARA Ham of the Year: